Meet a Scientologist - Yulia Gould's Path to Freedom

Yulia Gould spans the landscape of arts, professions and interests. A Clearwater, Florida-based graphic artist, professional interpreter, public relations officer and events coordinator, she is also a certified scuba diver who loves skiing, skydiving and traveling the world. And although raised in the Soviet Union where the only “religion” was atheism, she has been a Scientologist since she was 14.

“I have walked a long way from being born and raised an atheist to finding my spiritual side through Scientology,” she says. “Realizing that I am not just an ‘animal’ as I was taught in school gave me a different level of responsibility for my actions. It matters what we do with our lives. I want to make the world a better place through my art and work.”

From a background where freedom and basic human rights were not available, Gould doesn’t take these rights for granted. One of her passions is promoting religious and cultural diversity, a goal she pursues by volunteering in groups that promote religious tolerance. And she is particularly proud that her painting “The Awakening” is part of the collection of the founder of the “Pave the Way Foundation,” a nonsectarian public foundation that identifies and eliminates obstacles between faiths.

“As a professional and an artist I really appreciate freedom of speech and expression,” she says. “I am very gratified that I belong to a church that sponsors an international human rights campaign.”

Yulia became involved in Scientology in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union.

“Both of my parents are MDs,” she says. “They knew that there was more to life than what is normally taught in school. They were searching for the answers. We saw a TV show featuring Dianetics and they became really interested, as it showed the way to help people alleviate psychosomatic illnesses where traditional medical approaches are not enough.”

Gould and her parents enrolled in a Dianetics seminar in Moscow.

“It answered all my question about human behavior—why people sometimes act in a way that seems to have no explanation. I realized here was something that could change my life and the lives of others for the better,” she says.

The entire family continued to study and practice Scientology and Dianetics and it made an enormous difference in Gould’s life.

“I used to be very shy. I was reluctant to speak up,” she says. “Now I really enjoy communication and working with people. Scientology has really helped me get my message across confidently and professionally, whether in interpreting, art or personal relationships. Through Scientology, life has become much easier to understand. If I have an issue or a problem in some area, I know that there is some aspect of Scientology technology that I can learn and use to make things better for myself and others.”

To meet Scientologists from all walks of life, view more than 200 “Meet a Scientologist” videos on www.Scientology.org.

###

The popular “Meet a Scientologist” profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org now total more than 200 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers, skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.

A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, with videos now viewed more than 8.1 million times.

Scientology Video: Why we help

SCIENTOLOGY VOLUNTEER MINISTERS

 The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Corps is an embracive program of the Church of Scientology to provide community service, disaster relief and emergency response. Created more than 30 years ago by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, the program has expanded to over 200,000 Volunteer Ministers worldwide who have served at 161 disaster sites, including Ground Zero after 9/11, the Southeast Asia tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, Haiti and Japan.

Volunteer Ministers have trained and partnered with more than 1,000 different groups, organizations and agencies including the Red Cross, FEMA, the National Guard, and police and fire departments. The Volunteer Ministers Corps motto is “Something can be done about it.”

In addition to assisting people in need in their own communities, Scientology Volunteer Ministers have helped hundreds of thousands in major cities around the world and in far flung outposts.  Our 18 Continental Volunteer Minister traveling centers (marquee yellow tents) and have toured through 170 countries covering over 300,000 miles, including a Volunteer Ministers barge traveling on the Amazon River, two centers traveling throughout Western and Central Africa and a traveling center in the outback of Australia.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers also routinely work side by side with other emergency response and relief organizations helping to save lives and bring order to disaster zones. 

In 2001, more than 800 VMs responded to the World Trade Center disaster and provided spiritual and practical aid to emergency workers for many weeks.  They have also been an integral part of rescue and salvage efforts at the sites of hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and fires. 

More than 500 VMs from 11 nations served in relief efforts in Southeast Asia, India and Sri Lanka in 2005
after the Tsunami.  Their work was reported on by international media including CNN, The Economist, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

The service of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers has been recognized by politicians, police, military, other relief agencies and civic authorities.  A mayor in Louisiana whose city had been hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 said, “I was very happy when more than 900 of your Church Volunteer Ministers arrived in my city from all over the world and became a major force in bringing physical and spiritual help to those in need.”

For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers click here.

Scientology Video: Why we help

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY HAMBURG CELEBRATING CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Musicians representing five diverse cultures perform a concert in the new chapel of the Church of Scientology of Hamburg

The Church of Scientology Hamburg hosted a Concert for Diversity in their new chapel March 9, featuring artists from five different nations.

The eclectic mix of genre and style spanned the cultural landscape from Iran to Nigeria, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Germany. Each of the seven groups or artists brought to the audience their unique sound and expression, and the finale where they performed together capped the evening.

The theme of the event was the role of the artist in bridging cultural differences and bringing about a better world, as expressed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard: “A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists.”

The Church of Scientology of Hamburg newly opened its doors in a dedication ceremony on January 21, 2012, attended by 1,500 Scientologists, guests and dignitaries. The grand opening marked the culmination of the transformation of the seven-story Church into an Ideal Church of Scientology to better meet the needs of Hamburg’s growing Scientology congregation and the community at large. The renovation and grand opening was part of a program to open Ideal Scientology Organizations around the world to fulfill L. Ron Hubbard’s vision for the religion. They are designed to provide all Scientology religious services to their parishioners and to serve as a home for the entire community and a meeting ground of cooperative efforts to uplift citizens of all denominations.

Scientology Video: Why we help